I'm a writer by trade. And by passion. I'm a lover of food, friends, and all things Boston. I listen to music pretty much 24/7 and idolize Martha Stewart. I love my job(s), my life, and this city.
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Archive: October 2008

So it isn’t exactly my favorite things Friday, but more like my favorite things Sunday. Close enough, right? Well, I had a fabulous weekend and without it, half of this favorite things list would not be possible.

This week’s favorite things:Strawberry Banana ExtraLately I’ve been obsessed with all things strawberry banana. I’m not usually a fruity gum person, but this stuff is faaabulous. And I love the alternative packaging for old school sticks of gum. How long will it be until they run out of new gum packaging/shape ideas??

Sweater Dresses

I have a new obsession with sweater dresses. I can’t quite explain it except to say that they are so incredibly versatile and allow me to wear dresses when it’s not dress weather. And yesss I do wear leggings sometimes. So kill me. I understand people’s dislike of them, but they keep me semi-warm when I want to wear a dress and yes, I believe they can be cute. So there. But anyway, sweater dresses are lovely and I have feeling my wardrobe will fill up with them in the coming months.

Jason Mraz

Saw him on Friday night and was ridiculously impressed. I’ve been a fan since his early days, but had no idea his live performance would be so good. He’s got some crazy fans, but now I’m probably becoming one. Allegedly, his $35 tickets were selling for $500 in Boston. How crazy is that?? And honestly, I get why people would pay that. Much respect for his showmanship, positive attitude, and all around talent. His show was a blast and his new album is incredible. So go watch him and go buy his album. Thaaank you!

Me and 7 foot guy

I saw this guy out on Saturday night and decided I needed to know how tall he was. So I asked, learned that he is 7 feet tall, and then asked for a picture with him. I knew I was being rude by treating him like a photo opp, but I just thought it was awesome and I have never met anyone that tall before. Seriously. Look how happy I am.

And those are my favorite things of the week. This week ahead is quite busy as I am starting some new freelance work that actually requires me to be working during certain hours (eeek! But a good thing; I’m seriously craving a little structure in my life). I’m also taking Sara out for her birthday dinner tomorrow night annd then departing for Chicago on Friday morning with Chels. Sooo excited to spend some time my sister and future bro-in-law!! And see Jessi!! And maybe some other bloggers? Working hard until then!

Guess what today is? What I’m listening to Wednesday! This doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll always be talking about what I’m listening to, but just music in general. I’ll start with a little bit about my fam and music.So, in case you haven’t noticed I was basically raised with music all around me. Nobody in my family is any good at making it, but we all love it and listen to it constantly. My sister has introduced me to many of my now favorite singers and bands (thanks to her band playing ex boyfriend!). My mom will argue she was a fabulous singer before she got pregnant and then her voice disappeared. I’m not even sure that’s possible, but I think it makes her feel good to believe. My dad can play Georgie Porgie on the piano and…that’s it. Not sure how he learned or how he remembers it, but he’s pretty damn good at it. And proud too.I played the piano for 11 years and basically, the only word to describe my piano playing skills is: horrible. I also played the flute for 4 years, but that was going nowhere and it wasn’t cool to be in band and basically my friends and I disrupted every class before finally quitting. I continued piano throughout high school, but my lessons were basically therapy sessions as I just hung out chatting with my teacher. I also taught him how to use Napster so he could download songs for his DJ business. I’m actually pretty psyched because he’s DJing my sister’s wedding and I haven’t seen him in years.Anyway, my favorite thing about my music loving family is that I can get my mom to listen to anything. I mean, I think my mom’s cool, but she’s typical mom. Busy being a nurse, cooking lots, and hanging out with my dad. But whenever I come home with CDs, she’ll give them a try and lots of times ends up liking them. She is obsessed with Coldplay. To the point that she was extremely jealous when I saw them in August but claimed “nobody my age will be there anyway.” But they were! There were lots of older folk jamming out to Coldplay. So when I heard they were coming back at the end of this month (so soon! I don’t know why), I snagged us some tickets for her birthday. And I’ve never seen her so excited about any gift before!! And she thinks it’s hilarious because many of her friends have never even heard of Coldplay before. She basically has every song memorized.I could easily turn my mom into my concert-going pawn since I don’t have a lot of friends really into the music I’m into. But we’re going to see how this concert goes before making any rash decisions. She needs meniscus surgery on her knee and is in quite a bit of pain, so hopefully she will be able to stand and enjoy the show. Then again, she’s on her feet in the OR all day, so I say she just needs to take a day off. It should be fun though. And if Garth Brooks or Willy Nelson ever come to town, I’m so taking my dad. In other music news, Friday night is the Jason Mraz concert!! I’m pretty excited to finally be seeing him.*Actually, my sister is an amazing dancer. Again, I took lessons for 7 years and didn’t really progress. Don’t get me wrong, I can drop a beat or two but when it comes to ballet and following directions from a teacher, it’s not my thing. Katie and I got kicked out of class pretty much every week for chatting. Come to think of it, she was also a key disrupter along with me in band class. Maybe all of my musical non-talent is actually Katie’s fault. Yeah, that’s it.

First things first. I’ve come up with a tentative blogging itinerary. Who knows how closely I’ll follow it, but I figured it was worth a try to throw a bit of structure into my life (something I lack hardcore). Here’s what I’m thinking:

Mondays- Maid-of-Honor Mondays: This one might be a bit tough considering I, uh, haven’t really done much in the realm of maid-of-honorly duties. But I’m sure that will change. And on weeks I might not have much to say, I’ll share my research, ideas, etc. I have to be careful though because I know my sister is here from time to time.

Wednesday- What I’m Listening to Wednesday: Obviously I’m obsessed with music and love talking about it, so I’m making Wednesdays the day I talk about what I’m listening to and any music-related anecdotes I want to tell. La la la, yay.

Fridays- Favorite Thing Fridays: I just love writing about my favorite things, so Fridays are Favorite Thing Fridays. Get excited.

And now for the part that makes you all think I’m a huge weirdo. But I swear, I’m really not.

So, at least once a year, I tend to have a mess of a month. You know the type. I lose things. I forget things. Everything goes wrong, some of it my fault, some of it not. This month has definitely been one of those off-months for me. Well, that’s what I thought until I started telling Sara and moaning about the fact it’s only October 13. She said, “Susie, I don’t think it’s October. You’ve had bad stuff happen since the end of September.” Huh. And then all of the sudden she realized that she had read that Mercury is in retrograde this month. OK. I do not believe in astrology. I think it’s pure coincidence that I embody pretty much every Libra characteristic (and all my “moons” are in Libra), but during my last off-month? Mercury was also in retrograde.

On the way home from our walk, we happened to be walking by an spiritual-ish book store and stopped in. We asked the salesman when Mercury went into retrograde and oh, it happened on the DAY my horrible-ness started. This seriously frightens me. I did some reading and since Mercury is in retrograde in Libra, it’s supposed to be really bad for Libras. Um hi. And I read this, “Has your life gone haywire in the last week[s]? Communications amiss? People from the past randomly showing up? Feel like you might be losing your mind, as no one you know seems to make any sense to you any more?” Yes, yes, and yesss.

I don’t believe in astrology but this freaking scares me. I’m not even going to discuss all the ways my last 3 weeks have sucked, but I do know it’s totally not normal. Anyway, the only thing making me feel better is that this whole retrograde ish ends on Wednesday. Hurry it up already. I don’t even want to know what else could go wrong before then.

Lastly, “This period brings travel snafus and missed appointments of all kinds. Documents can go astray. Be sure to carry a diary and refer to it often.”

Well, that’s all well and good except for the fact that I lost my agenda last week. Yup. Le sigh. Two days, two days. Let’s hope I make it.And let’s hope you continue reading my blog though I sound like a crazy astrologer person.

New goal for October! Blog here more often. I’m making a 4 time a week goal. I know…pretty lofty considering once a week is what I’ve been doing. And I actually just made that number up with no prior thought because if I write it down, it will happen. But honestly? I miss it. I just had dinner with my best friend from college and she told me her sister just got engaged (same age as my sis and the wedding will be one week after my sis’s!). After discussing our maid-of-honor duties, I briefly considered starting a maid-of-honor blog and then stopped in my tracks. Um, time? Yeah, not there so much and I’d rather stay true to my Boston Girl blog roots. Haven’t done it in a while, so I’m doing it now.Things I’m obsessed with right this second:

Peanut Butter & Co Peanut Butter

Hello. I wasn’t aware that it was possible for me to like peanut butter even more than I already did. But alas, I was mistaken. This, my friends, is amazing. If I lived in NYC, I would probably move into at Peanut Butter & Co. but since I don’t have that option open to me, I am grateful to the Gods who ship it to the Christmas Tree Shop and sell it for $2.99. If the Christmas Tree Shop is out of stock I will probably cry and beg someone to reorder (and I’m guessing they won’t give a care about my PB woes). Or else I’ll just have to pay the $6.99 for it online. Because it’s worth it. I am going to buy so much of this stuff, it will hopefully last me years. Or a day.

My Filofax

No mine isn’t pink; it’s teal. But I had to purchase it since the normally priced $95 planner was on sale for $4.99. Though I figured I would use it for a week before it would be stashed in a drawer and forgotten, I had to buy it (because I am a girl and I cannot resist a sale). Little did I know at the time that I would become obsessed with it and get shaky when I temporarily misplace it. Did my life get busier? Probably. Do I have more planned in advance? Perhaps. Did I become more forgetful? Surely. In any event, I am madly in love with my Filofax and encourage all to purchase one. I actually think my life is getting more eventful because I own a Filofax and feel the need to keep it filled up. Can your planner do that?

It’s no secret I’m a huge Ryan Adams fan. Any look at pretty much any entry on my blog will tell you that. And actually, before I started Tumbling, it was rare I came across any other RA fans. Now I almost feel like a follower/groupie because everyone on Tumblr seems obsessed with him (or maybe I have just finally found my people. I probably should just move to NYC now. Ooh, I’d get peanut butter too). Anyway, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals (Neil Casal, yay!) are coming out with their new CD, Cardinology, on October 28. I was all set to pre-order on iTunes when a thought crossed my mind. I want this CD in my hands. I want to look at the insert. I don’t want to freak out if anything happens to my computer or my iTunes (OK so that was several thoughts). So, I decided I’m pre-ordering on Amazon instead. Can’t even remember the last time I purchased a material CD, but I’m so excited to actually hold a CD again (maybe unreasonably so). I don’t really get if Amazon will deliver it ON Oct. 28, but they better. Plus when I pre-ordered Harry Potter, UPS delivered at 8 a.m. on the day, so I have faith.

This may be the best book ever. Don’t laugh at me. Sara and I have a thing for “self-help” books and she tends to purchase them for me for holidays (um, trying to tell me something? Probably). Seriously though, last birthday it was Profiling Your Date: A Smart Woman’s Guide to Evaluating a Man. The year before it was Dr. Phil’s Love Smart. And for Christmas, The Guide to Getting it On. But Dating Makes You Want to Die is absolutely hilarious. You should read it even if you’re in a relationship because it’s that funny. My favorite line? In discussing why lunch dates are a bad idea, the authors say, “By the time you get home, you won’t even remember eating lunch. You’ll use this lack of memory as an excuse to watch more Fraiser and fill up on chocolate-covered popcorn. And then you will get fat and no one will love you. Because of your lunch date, you will die alone.” Perfect? Yes.

I think it’s crazy scary that it’s already October. That means there are only 3 months of 2008 left (Yes, I’m good at math). 3 months?!? But it feels like 2008 just started! Luckily, in addition to the holidays, I have some pretty awesome things planned for the restof 2008. Actually, I’m just plain excited for lots of things that are coming up (some small and some bigger). There’s actually a lot more than this, but there’s always more time for that.

Things I am excited for right now:

Pushing Daisies!

Ever since reality TV started, I’ve forgotten how to watch actual TV shows (dramas, sitcoms, etc.) and can only concentrate on reality TV. Gross, really. But I started watching Pushing Daisies and actually really, really like it. So I’m psyched that it’s starting tonight and I can have something to look forward to on Wednesday nights. Also kind of getting into Dirty Sexy Money, which also premieres tonight!

New Furniture!

Tomorrow my new furniture arrives from Jordan’s. I am extremely excited for several reasons. First of all, my lovely Target furniture has been falling apart for a while now. Several drawers are completely ruined and not only does this make it look like I live in a huge mess, but I don’t have enough room for all my clothes. I’m sure my new furniture still won’t give me enough room (I have WAY too much stuff), but at least it will look pretty and be functional. Things I’m not looking forward to? Emptying my 2 old dressers and nightstand and bringing them out the the trash. Boo.

Seeing These Girls!

I haven’t seen the ciss and the mitz in quite a while, but will be spending all weekend with them. Excited to spend some good quality time with my cousins and hope to get in a few good walks around the pond with them. I hope they’re ready for my rigid exercise program!

Blogher in Boston!

I really wanted to go to Blogher in San Fran this summer, but since I couldn’t quite afford it, I didn’t make the trip. So to hear that Blogher is going on tour and coming to Boston (well, Burlington really) on October 11, totally excited me. Obviously grabbed tickets (thanks to Trish Ryan for alerting me!) with Chels and Tarryn and we are psyched to meet new bloggers, go to the panels (there’s one on food blogs!), and learn tons of new stuff. Other Boston bloggers, you should really sign up for this. It’s going to be a fabulous time and only costs $100 for an entire day of blogging fun!

Chicago Visit Fall 08!

I was really sad when my sister and her fiance moved from Boston after living here for 4 months (they’re doing traveling PT). The only thing that made it brighter? They moved back to Chicago; one place I do not mind visiting at all. And We are not Martha will be visiting Chicago together at the end of October! I’m so excited to spend time with my sis and Adam, hang out with Jessi (and maybe other Chi bloggers??), eat sushi at Coast, and…wait for it…Chicago Cupcake Crawl Part 2!! Yes, my sister is planning part 2 of the cupcake crawl as she claims there are many new cupcake venues since the last time I visited. I’m not eating cupcakes until then. Yay!

Cooking Classes!

I have a couple awesome cooking classes to look forward to in the coming months, both presents I got for my birthday. My mom got me a class with the amazing Chris Kimball, who also happens to be one of my culinary idols. He’s amazing (and his test kitchen is in Brookline!) and I cannot wait to see what he does. Also, Chels is taking me to a pasta making class at Stir! I’ve never been to their kitchen, but allegedly it’s small and beautiful and perfect for learning some new skills. Yess!